As chiropractors, we see a wide range of conditions, but neck and shoulder pain, especially pain that involves numbness and tingling are among the most common problems we see. Neck pain tells us a lot about where your pain is actually coming from and where we need to adjust. Adjustment relieves pressure on the affected joints, calms down muscle tension, blocks pain signals, and just feels good.
The shoulder is one of the joints in the body that is particularly prone to diseases caused by injury and aging. The shoulder joint is more intricate than you might think. It’s made up of a ball and socket, muscles, ligaments, and tendons so there are multiple parts of the joint that can be injured. It’s pretty easy to overuse or overexert your shoulder joint by carrying heavy objects, lifting things improperly, or repetitive shoulder movement.
In order to properly treat the shoulder joint and achieve long-term relief, it is important to identify the cause of shoulder pain. Most neck and shoulder pain that radiates down the arm originates from the cervical (neck) region of the spine.
The tingling and numbness that often accompanies this pain are most often classified as paresthesia, which is the feeling of “pins and needles” on your skin or the feeling that your arm has fallen asleep. Paresthesia may result from a reduced flow of blood to the extremity. This can be caused simply by external pressure that constricts the blood vessels.
Injuries to the nervous system can also produce numbness and tingling, even in places on the body far from the actual injury. Neck pain through neck injury may cause feelings of numbness or tingling in the hand or arm while a lower back injury can result in tingling on the back of the leg. It’s very common for the root cause of tingling in the neck and shoulders to be a nerve that is pinched or has pressure on it.
The causes of shoulder pain and tingling in the neck and shoulders are seemingly endless, but let's go over some of the more common causes for pain in the shoulder. Tingling in the neck and shoulders accompanied by discomfort or pain may be the result of conditions, such as:
Neck and upper back tightness
Spinal misalignment
Arthritis
Spinal disc issues
A pinched nerve
Abnormal patterns of movement like improperly lifting a large item
Repetitive use injury
Athletic injuries and automobile accidents
Injury or irritation from sitting improperly while working at a desk
While a few of the items on this list may indicate localized swelling in the shoulder joint, more of them point to the spine as the most likely source of pain. The nerves that control the shoulder originate in the spine. If the vertebrae around the neck and upper back are compressed or injured, the nerves that go to the shoulder will be irritated and cause pain. These nerves can also cause tingling in the neck and shoulder area. So, what appears as neck or shoulder pain may actually be referred pain from the spinal column.
TREATMENT FOR PAIN & TINGLING IN THE NECK & SHOULDERS
In order to determine the cause of your shoulder pain, a chiropractic treatment begins with a thorough evaluation process, using the information provided from your medical history, and advanced imaging techniques. Once a correct diagnosis is achieved it will then be used to develop a unique and individualized treatment plan that will help ensure a fast recovery.
As you can see, spinal adjustment is one of the common methods we use to treat pain and tingling in the neck and shoulders. We can combine that with Active Release Techniques, and physiotherapies to create the perfect treatment plan for you. Combining different treatments allows us to help you feel better faster and stay out of pain.
If you have pain, tingling, or numbness in your neck and shoulders, we can help. Click here or call us at (724) 553-5312 to schedule your appointment at our office in Cranberry Township, PA.
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